Man Who Slashed Wife Gets 110 Years In Jail

TAVARES — A 29-year-old Mount Dora man was sentenced to 110 years in state prison Thursday after a jury found him guilty of repeatedly slashing his wife with a pocket knife.

The sentence comes one day after Daniel Brown rejected a plea bargain, which called for a 15-year sentence, in favor of a jury trial.

State sentencing guidelines called for a term of 12 to 17 years, but Lake County Circuit Judge Jerry T. Lockett said he decided to exceed the guidelines because of the severe mental and physical damage to the victim and because Brown had attacked his wife with a knife two years ago.

The trial lasted only one day and the jury of four men and two women deliberated only 20 minutes before reaching a verdict.

Brown showed no emotion as a court clerk read the verdict, but he muttered profanity as the judge announced the sentence moments later.

His attorney, James Durden, said after the trial that an appeal is likely. Brown was charged with attempted first-degree murder and burglary to a dwelling in which a person was assaulted. Jurors convicted him of the burglary and attempted second-degree murder.

Brown was arrested April 14 after police found his wife bleeding outside her apartment at 550 Lincoln Ave., Mount Dora.

She had 18 wounds -- some as long as 14 inches -- on her head, arms and upper body.

Rose Brown, 28, testified that her estranged husband was waiting in her bedroom when she arrived home from work. She said he jumped out of the closet, locked the bedroom door and then accused her of seeing other men.

She said he knocked her onto the bed and started slashing as her 4-year-old son watched. Brown's attorney did not try to dispute the fact that Brown had injured his wife, chosing instead to attack the state's contention that the attack was premeditated.

Durden also challenged Mrs. Brown's contention that the two were not living together. He was trying to show that Brown could not be accused of burglarizing a home they shared.

Assistant State Attorney Jim Earp, in closing arguments, showed the jury color photographs of Mrs. Brown's injuries as proof that Brown meant to kill his wife.

''There's at least 18 different reasons why he attempted to kill her,'' he said, snapping the pictures down like playing cards. ''I think the evidence shows he tried to kill her every time he cut her.''

Brown was placed on probation following his arrest on Nov. 27, 1984, for cutting his wife's throat ''from ear to ear,'' a police report says.

He was sentenced in October to five years in prison for violating his probation. That sentence has been appealed.

Judge Lockett ordered Thursday that all of Brown's prison time be served consecutively.